Cactus leaf
Let me start this post with a caveat: unless you are already at least somewhat into juicing and used to buying copious quantities of fruits and vegetables and leafy things (or are a blogger trying to make something cool to write about, ahem), you are probably going to have to leave the cactus out of this recipe if you’re ever going to actually make it. Because let me tell you: de-spining a cactus leaf is no small job, and I have a very sad finger right now to prove it.
You might, at this point, be asking yourself what I am doing holding a cactus in the first place, let alone trying to drink it. Because I’ve been pretty clear about the fact that, try as I might, I am not a green juice person. I pick up a couple of pre-made bottles in Whole Foods from time to time when I’m feeling guilty about my various excesses, but within a day or two I typically remember that there are things that taste better than green juice, like everything, and start eating and drinking those things instead.
This green juice is not, for example, better than a milkshake. But it is perhaps the most delicious green juice I have ever tasted (and if you’re wondering, this recipe came from a friend who is much, much healthier than I am, so you can totally trust it).
Actually-Good Green Juice
Into a blender, put:
- The juice of 1 orange
- 5-7 leaves baby spinach
- A small handful of kale/chard mix
- 1/3 cactus leaf (spines removed but skin left on)
- 1/8 avocado (skin removed)
- ½” round of pineapple, peeled and cut into pieces
- 4 stalks of parsley (both leaves and stems)
- 2 stalks celery, cut into pieces
- 8 oz coconut water
Blend on high until well-combined (use the “liquefy” setting if you have one on your blender). It’ll still have lots of pulp (which is good, because pulp = fiber), but you can strain it through a sieve if you prefer a thinner consistency.
